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Food Service Worker Jennifer Wilson and Business Office Manager Tish Duncan help provide free meals to families at Mount Pleasant Elementary in Lancaster on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.(Photo: Logan Weaver)

LANCASTER - For some children in Lancaster and Fairfield County, public schools are the one place where they are guaranteed a meal.

So when state health officials and Governor Mike DeWine made the decision to close schools for at least three weeks, administrators within the Lancaster City School District knew they had to act to help all students across the city.

Seven schools within the Lancaster City School District will offer free lunches and breakfast items to families via drive-thru pick-ups through Friday, March 27.

"We know of the help that's needed in our community," said Food Service Supervisor Karah Smith. "We know a lot of children depend on these meals daily, so with us being able to provide all these meals for free to these families, we really hope everyone utilizes it and takes the meals home."

Smith said the district and state education officials acted quickly in order for meals to be available on a relatively short notice.

"As the coronavirus started to get worse and everything started shutting down, we anticipated schools being closed down for a while," Smith said. "I then started working with the Ohio Department of Education and my representative there, and seeing what we could do here to still feed our children."

Superintendent Steve Wigton said Monday he was impressed by the quick turnaround by the district's food services workers in preparing the meals.

"Our food service ladies are fantastic," Wigton said. "They didn't hesitate to step up and take this on."

Families can stop by the following schools between noon and 1 p.m. to pick up bagged lunches:

Lancaster High School - GAC Door Entrance

General Sherman - Under the awning by the main office entrance

Thomas Ewing - Main Entrance

Gorsuch West - Main Entrance

Mount Pleasant - Main Entrance

Medill - Main Entrance

Tallmadge - Main Entrance

Free lunches provided by the Lancaster City School District on Tuesday included a ham and cheese sandwich, celery, grapes, graham crackers, a cheese stick, white and chocolate milk, and a muffin for the next morning's breakfast.(Photo: Logan Weaver)

Some locations, such as Mount Pleasant Elementary, will also hand-out lunches to students who walk to pick-up their meals. Each bagged lunch will also include breakfast items for the morning after.

Smith noted that the content of the lunches will vary day-by-day. In a news release, the district notes that on days in which items such as peanut butter or other common allergens are used, alternative meals will be available for pick-up.